Mark Robinson of Braves Chiefs goes for the layup while teammate Sean Plummer (right) looks on during yesterday's Berger Paints Division One basketball final at the National Stadium Courts. Tivoli won 60-55.
PEACE prevailed and Gavin Boyd scored a game-high 17 points as Tivoli All Stars defeated three-time champions Braves Chiefs 60-55 in a thrilling game to capture the Berger Paints Division One basketball title for the first time at the National Stadium Courts yesterday.
The win saw the controversial titans, Tivoli, capture the best-of-three finals 2-1. They won the first game 75-64, then Braves Chiefs levelled the series at 1-1 with a 71-57 win two Sundays ago.
Coach of Tivoli, Dennis Hutchinson, who was doused with water from a large igloo after the game, was thrilled.
"I am wet as you can see, but I am elated right now. Every player on the team contributed to our success," Hutchinson said.
Forward Orville Perkins scored 16 points including four three pointers to be the second top scorer for Tivoli.
Player/coach of Braves Chiefs, Roger Marshall, top scored for his side with 15 points and four rebounds while Romark Suckra and Sean Plummer backed him with 10 points each.
"I feel really bad, we did not played to our true potential," said a disappointed Marshall.
The battle was tight in the early stages with the scores level on seven occasions (4-4, 7-7, 9-9, 11-11, 13-13, 18-18, 22-22). With four seconds remaining before the end of the first half and Braves Chiefs leading 27-26, Tivoli's Perkins shot a clean three-pointer to push his team to 29-27 lead at the end of the stanza.
Tivoli locked out Braves in the final 15 minutes of the game through a strong zone defence, causing their opponents to shoot, on many occasions in vain, from the outside.
Perkins, the three-point star, fouled out with 2:32 left in the game but Tivoli never yielded though their opponents got within two-points on four occasions.
Braves' Marshall hit a three-pointer with just 0.3 left before the buzzer but it was too late for a comeback.
By Merrick Andrews,
Staff Reporter
- Dennis Coke Photo
